The history of liposuction is a complex and interesting one. Over the years, the methods of fat removal and body re-sculpting have gone from very basic and crude methods to the much less invasive forms of liposuction available today. This is largely because of improvements in both liposuction technology and surgical techniques.

The first attempts were made at removing excess fat and reshaping the contours of the body in the early twenties. Back then, the approach was to dissect the skin and remove the unsightly fat deposits. Naturally that method had its drawbacks - most notably the scarring and pain inflicted on the patient. As there was no access to antibiotics, there was always the risk of major infection, including gangrene, of which there were reported cases. Suffice to say, with those risks, interest in surgical fat removal methods waned until much later in the twentieth century!

By the nineteen-seventies, however, cosmetic surgery had taken off, with some of the most famous movie stars of the day advocating its youth-enhancing benefits. Indeed, in the nineteen-fifties and sixties Marilyn Monroe was probably the first cosmetic surgery pin-up girl, as she had gone through a number of procedures, drawing significant attention to the skill of the new, emerging breed of plastic and cosmetic surgeons. Liposuction was on course to make a bold comeback, with early procedures paving the way for newer, safer techniques.

Since the seventies, liposuction has come a long way. Some of the earlier procedures left a lot to be desired, but methods continued to improve - albeit gradually. By the eighties and nineties, liposuction had become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures, ranking consistently near, or at the top of the list.

By the nineties, surgeons had become very skilled in the art of fat extraction via the use of specially designed cannulas, and many of the pioneering liposuction surgeons had invented specialized ways of achieving progressively better results. From methods involving laser probes, to the use of ultrasound to break up the fat, this was indeed a new age of lipo-enlightenment.

However, it would be a Columbian cosmetic surgeon, Dr Alfredo Hoyos, who would revolutionize liposuction forever. His patented Vaser Hi Def technique would become the most elegant and effective way of sculpting the body that had ever been attempted. Using an ultrasound probe to break up the fat on several different levels within the body without affecting the surrounding important tissues, Hoyos created a liposuction method that could actually be carried out under local anesthetic, enabling patients to go home - and sometimes even be active - on the day of surgery.

So, as you can see, the history of liposuction has gone from its inauspicious to downright dangerous and life-threatening beginnings, to the art form is today in the hands of an experienced cosmetic surgeon with a good eye for aesthetics.